Just sold my 1200 Bandit, loved the torquey motor, thought I loved the bike, but I bought a 1000 Fazer a few weeks ago. Wow ten times better, forget this lump of shit and try the big faser from Yamaha
superb machine. I've owned 2 now, tried the new one but prefer the old version. Just bought an "S" and am over the moon. good handling (I"ve ridden a 1970's Z1 for 20 years) great brakes and wheelies at the drop of the throttle! WOuld reconmend one to anyone.
RUBBISH. THIS IS THE WORST BIKE EVER. ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU IT HANDLES WELL OR IS LIGHT ON THE STEERING IS EITHER TELLING LIES OR DOESN'T KNOW SH*T DIDDLEY ABOUT BIKES. THE FRONT SUSPENSION IS USELESS AND THE REAR IS WORSE THAN THAT!! DON'T BUY ONE YOU WILL BE VERY DISSAPOINTED.
Big bike for little money. 5.5 l/100 km. wheely bike. high torque. It' my 10th bike ,also my best. But:standart michelin macadams sucks. So, mounted on my bandit: dunlop d207:good michelin pilot sport:better bridgestone bt010:best Also:after 42.000km :real need for öhlins , WP ,hyperpro or whatever components front and back.
Best fun bike I've ever owned.Excellent performance for this type/style of bike ,Aggressive styling but with nice lines.The suspension gets a bit vague when pushed hard,but never seems to go "AWOL".Brakes and tyres do an adequate job but both lack just a little feel.Engine is bullet proof say no more.With a few relatively minor mods such as a race can,jetting,14 tooth front sprocket and sorted suspension you've got a very,very capable machine.In standard trim it's a great wheelie machine (even better than my old Kawasaki H1 500A)but with the above mods it's capable of 3rd gear 90mph monsters just off the throttle.Besides performance,the Bandit 1200 is just as happy tinkering through traffic and is surprisingly light and agile for a 1200,easy to control and makes a great practical every-day bike.I've had mine for nearly 5 years with not a bit of trouble.Highly recommended.Go get one...NOW!!.
Funny how an unpopular style (how many 400 Bandits did they sell?) suddenly becomes flavour of the moment - everyone's raving about the big Bandit in the press, and it's sold at a very competitive price (6 grand for a 1200?). So is it worth all the adulation?
For a big bike on Michelin Macadams, the Bandit 1200 handles very well - and while not low, you soon scrap the pegs, followed by the brake lever, followed by the centre stand. We couldn't own one of these - couldn't afford the running costs in boots!
When Suzuki introduced the 400 Bandit into the UK, they couldn't give them away. They were almost universally slated in the press as having "bizarre styling" and a "buzzy engine". Strange really, because one or two people not a million miles away actually quite liked the 400 Bandit - in fact we know someone who bought one...
Things seemed to change, however, when the 600 version appeared. All of a sudden the "modern UJM" was de rigeur, and Suzuki couldn't sell enough of them. What better then, as Yamaha launch the XJR1200 with a race series in France, but to stick the old air/oil-cooled GSXR1100 lump in the 600 frame? Not only that, but bore it out, and tune it for mid-range, and then sell it at a rock-bottom price. Dealers will tell you that they can't get enough - indeed some of the major dealers have already pre-booked for 1997!
This was one test I was really looking forward to - after all sticking a big engine in a small bike always generates a bit of fun - and the reports to date had all been favourable.
The Bandit comes in two versions - one with a small half fairing, the other without. We asked for the half-faired version, for a couple of reasons; first, the other magazines had all tested unfaired versions and we wanted to be different, and secondly we wanted to genuinely test the bike's all-round performance - ever tried to hang on to a bike without a fairing at 140mph+?
First Glance Looking round the bike was a pleasant surprise - it wasn't at all evident where Suzuki had cut the cost of building the thing. Clocks with chrome surrounds, nicely polished top yoke, alloy footrests and hangers quite nicely finished, the debatable chrome covers over the air box; it all looked pretty reasonable. The maroon paint has a slight metalflake which shines nicely in the sun, although it doesn't quite have that deep lustre - but no chips and only a couple of minor scratches were showing after 5000 miles of journo-abuse.
I've always though the GSX-R engine to be one of the best looking in the bike world - those narrow-pitched fins really make it look like a "real" engine - and the black chrome finish on the Bandit looks deep and hard - certainly easier to clean than the old grey colour of the sports bikes.
The tyres of our test bike were Michelin Macadams - not my personal favourites after the CBR600 test, but they proved later to be perfectly adequate on the Suzuki.
Sitting on the amply-padded "normal" seat and grabbing hold of the chrome bars was a bit of a surprise at first - after a number of sports bikes, the Bandit felt like a trailie! But the seat height is actually fairly low, and along with soft suspension caused no problems in getting both feet down. In fact the aforementioned 400 Bandit owner is "vertically challenged" (about 5 foot 6 or less - we didn't measure him!) but was able to straddle the 1200 with only a slight stretch.
Pull in the clutch interlock and fire up (why do Suzuki's do that these days?) and the engine grumbled away just like only a big-bore engine can. From cold it raced a little, but warmed up quickly and the choke could be taken off within a minute. Clonk into first (the only gear to do so - Suzuki still make the best gearboxes!) drop the clutch and whoosh! the mid range grabs the bike bike and drags it forwards as though someone has tied a bungee rope to the front wheel!
Snick through the gears, and the same thing happens - it's only once the speedo reads 140 or so that things slow down; and it's deceivingly easy to get there with the little fairing...
Mid range addiction The engine's mid-range instantly makes you smile, and makes the gearbox redundant - in fact it's almost impossible not to start playing games. For the first 30 miles or so on the motorway returning from Suzuki's Crawley HQ, I played with the throttle, nailing it at about 80mph and just enjoying being carried along on a wave of torque up to about 140ish, then slowing down and doing it all over again - all without changing gear, no fuss, sunny day, no wind (that fairing) - magic!
The suspension is soft to the point of being a bit soggy, and with the weight of the bike you're not encouraged to storm up to bends hard on the brakes; nevertheless the handling at high speeds and on long sweeping bends was fine - not a weave or wallow to be found.
Unfortunately the engine does get a bit breathless at the top end - you wait a long time for 150mph to come up on the clock, and that's about it. There are ways of freeing up some extra power pretty easily though, we've heard...
Tanking it Soft suspension, Macadams, weight - doesn't bode well for a sporting ride, but we were pleasantly surprised. A touch more preload on the front forks (the only adjustment available) helped to stop them diving quite so much on the brakes, and the bike could be thrown in to corners remarkably hard.
It takes a different technique from a sports bike; brake earlier and smoother, so that when you turn in the suspension isn't so loaded, and let the engine mid-range drag you and the bike hard out the other side. The pegs, brake lever, and finally centre stand drag fairly easily, and if you're really serious about chasing sport bikes, then a set of rearsets would be a good idea. Short-shift up on the exit, and feel the front end go light and wiggle the bars as you power on. Repeat until the grin makes your face hurt.
The rear suspension's well sorted - we didn't feel the need to play, and anyway the bikes limit is it's ground clearance; even the Macadams were plenty enough to use it all up without sliding. The only slides we did experience were when a rear puncture intervened, but even then the bike was rideable to a tyre shop for a replacement.
The brakes were excellent; Suzuki win the contest this year for brakes, with the stunning GSX-R750 stoppers, but with "only" 4-pot Nissin calipers the Bandit could still be tied in major knots due to the soft forks; stoppies are possible, but not with confidence.
Long Distance On longer trips the Suzuki excelled. Small though the fairing is (and some would say ugly...) it manages to keep the worst of the wind blast away for speed well over 130mph. Combined with the "proper" seat with some good padding and relatively low footrests makes the Suzuki a great proposition for longer rides. In fact I reckon it'd make a great Bol d'Or bike - comfortable for the 800 mile ride down there, and rideable enough to have a laugh on the twisties around Le Castellet.
Suzuki have obviously spent time trying to eliminate vibration too - there are damping weights hidden behind the footrest guard plates, and bar- end weights of substantial proportions. It works to an extent - there is still a buzz through the pegs at about 90mph, but it's nothing serious and doesn't detract from the long range ability of the bike.
What does cause a slight problem is the tank capacity. During the whole time we had the bike, we couldn't stretch a tankful past 125 miles before reserve kicked in - 41 miles per gallon and only 13 or so litres with another 4 and a half on reserve means a maximum of 160 miles before filling up - yet the bike is capable and comfortable for much further than that.
The riding position is superb - the rider's weight is balanced beautifully between feet, backside and arms, so that no one part suffers too badly. The seat is big enough to allow a certain amount of moving around, and the pillion footrests are low enough to carry a passenger easily.
Everyday living Life with the Bandit's pretty good - the centre stand makes tyre and chain maintenance easy, there are bungee hooks under the tailpiece (and anyway the bikes' "conventional", so there's loads of places to attach bits of luggage) and the bike looks great after a quick wash and polish.
You might have to keep that polishing up though - it's impossible for us to say how the Bandit would survive a British winter's combination of frost and road salt, but it's a fact that chromed bikes struggle to stay looking good when compared with the race-replica, faired bikes.
Nevertheless it's impossible to deny that the bike is incredible value for money - the finish is a lot better than it could be, and you get a lot of bike for little cash.
There's not a whole lot wrong with a 1200 Bandit, and in fact the rumours are that it doesn't take much to improve things even more; it has been said that if you swap the Bandit's silencer can for an RF900 one, a whole bunch more horses are freed up. We can't prove or disprove this one - Suzuki were going to try it out when we handed the bike back - but certainly others have found extra power easy to find.
So there you have it - there's nothing to touch the 1200 Bandit in terms of value for money, and as an everyday bike it's tremendous fun, while being practical too. Best 6 grand you could spend, for a new bike. But we probably don't need to tell you that, 'cos Suzuki GB say they've sold all this year's stock already!
Engine:4-cylinder, air-cooled with SACS, DOHC, TSCC Bore x Stroke:79.0 x 59.0 Displacement:1156cc Compression ratio:9.5:1 Carbs:Mikuni BST 36SS Max. Power:129PS Ignition:Electronic Starter:Electric Transmission:Five-speed Dimensions (LxWxH):2,090 x 800 x 1,100mm Wheelbase: 1430mm Seat Height:835mm Ground Clearance:130mm Fuel Capacity:18 litres
Tyres:
Front - 120/70 x ZRl7 Rear - 190/50 x ZR17 Suspension: Front - Telescopic, coil spring, adjustable spring preload Rear - Link-type, gas/oil damped, adjustable spring preload Brakes: Front - dual hydraulic disc Rear - single hydraulic disc Dry Weight:211kg
I have owned a '99 model since new. I have ridden the K1 model and to be honest prefer the older bike - the new one has lost its edge. I use mine regularly on track days and have great fun blitzing sports bikes both on the track and on the road. The engine is superb - I have been to Italy, Greece, Poland, Switzerland and Spain on mine.
The down side to them is the build quality - so poor they could be Italian. I think the B12 has lost its crown to the Fazer 1000, but I doubt the Fazer will make as big an impact or sell a quarter of the bikes compared to the B12. The big Bandit will be around for many years and has already become a cult bike - the Fazer is the fashionable bike to have at the moment, but we all know fashion is for those that can't make up their own mind :)
Owned for 3 years.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed October 2003.
Performance
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Purchase my Bandit in January 2003. After the first service 600 miles noticed the bike was low on oil.Between 600 and 3500 miles bike used 2.5lt of oil. Suzuki fitted 4 new pistons and rings under warranty. Bike now does not use oil and engine runs very smooth. Now very happy with bike.
Never owned
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed October 2003.
Performance
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Exceeds expectation-even for a hardend sportbike rider. An absoloute all rounder.
Owned for 6 months.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed August 2003.
Performance
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great bike, i traded in a 2000 bandit 600 for the bandit 1200 /02 and i 'am very happy i did,the power is great, if your into wheelies this is your bike!!! suzuki did a great job on this one!
Owned for 6 months.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed June 2003.
Performance
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It's the bike for all seasons. Touring, scratching, nipping down the newsagent for a bike mag, carrying a pillion passenger without raising your centre of gravity by three feet, filtering traffic on the M25 car park, it can do it all and doesn't cost a fortune.
Owned for 3 months.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed October 2002.
Performance
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Bandit 12. Owned two , both new. Old and new versions. K series is a superb machine, it will stay with any sportsbike on any road and will only get beaten on out and out top speed. The low down grunt will leave Blades coming out of corners, and with sintered pads and 010/020's the handling is as good as anything else out there. It will tour, cruise, pull from zero revs, do 50mpg, 180mpg tank range, its comfortable for 180 miles, will carry a pillion in comfort, luggage and the torque means that it never loses performance in doing so. The new version is a totally different bike from the old one and shares few parts. Only the wheels, swingarm and engine cases are the same!! Buy one, they are superb, better than any VFR, Triumph, etc etc and I know, I've ridden, raced and owned loads of bikes.
Brilliant bike -value plus NZ$13k - equivalent of 3700 quid brand new inc o.r.c.(for pre Y2K 'S' model & later naked models). Handling isn't quite CBR but then again it's geezer-comfy & 4 hrs riding later I'm still daisy-fresh. vibes are bearable(I've had far worse) and I LOVE the way it looks - (naked motor fetishist) You get what you pay for & the bits that could use help aren't that dear to sort.
Owned for 1 month.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed November 2000.
Performance
Reliability
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Best bike I have ever owned. It does everything very well and looks great.
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